Dr. Mark Wright
Insect Management
Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences
3050 Maile Way, Room 310
Honolulu, HI 96822
Office: Gilmore 511A
Phone: 808-956-7670
FAX: 808-956-2428
E-mail: markwrig@hawaii.edu
Website: http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/wrightm
Areas of Interest
IPM, tropical fruits and nuts, insect ecology, biological control
Courses
- Biological Control of Invasive Species (PEPS 422)
- Integrated Pest Management (PEPS 421)
- Insect Ecology (PEPS 671)
Research
My research program addresses the development of environmentally sound pest management options, with emphasis on tropical fruit and nut crops. My main research interest is biological control and its integration with other pest management options. A major component of my interest in biological control understanding how to quantify non-target risks and to plan introductions of biological control agents to have minimal impact on indigenous species, yet maximal impact upon pest populations.
The Honey Bee Project
Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are responsible for approximately one third of the food consumed by humans. Thus, anything that is a threat to them is arguably a threat to us. Today one of the greatest dangers to the honey bee is the Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) which was recently found in Oahu, Hawaii during March of 2007. Until recently the mite has not been found on any of the other Hawaiian islands. The University of Hawaii has been tasked with researching methods to combat and control the mite.
Website: http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/wrightm/Honey_Bee_Home.html
Videos
- Varroa Mites Up Close
- Moving a Swarm from a Tree to a Hive
- Gathering Bees for Sugar Shake
- Performing the Sugar Shake
- Bucket Hive Adjustment
Website: http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/wrightm/Videos.html
Downloads
- Aspects of Insect Pest Management in Organic Agriculture
- Other downloads, pest updates, etc. are available at http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/wrightm/vogonfile.htm
Selected Recent Publications
- Follett, P.A., Wright, M.G. & Golden, M. 2009. Nezara viridula feeding patterns in macadamia nut in Hawaii: nut maturity and cultivar effects. Environmental Entomology. (Accepted)
- Hooks, C.R.R., Fukuda, S., Perez, E.A., Manandhar, R., Wang, K.H., Wright, M.G. & Almeida, R.P.P. 2009. Aphid transmission of Banana bunchy top virus to bananas after treatment with a bananacide. Journal of Economic Entomology (In Press).
- Kaufman, L.V. & Wright, M.G. 2009. Life history, seasonal phenology and parasitism of the Hawaiian endemic moth Udea stellata (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 102: 104-111.
- Kaufman, L.V. & Wright, M.G. 2009. The impact of exotic parasitoids on populations of a native Hawaiian moth assessed using life table studies. Oecologia 159: 295-304.
- Manandhar, R., Hooks, C.R.R., Wright, M.G. 2009. Influence of cover crop and intercrop systems on Bemisia argentifolli (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) infestation and associated Squash Silverleaf Disorder in zucchini. Environmental Entomology 38: 442-229.
- Vorsino, A., Wieczorek, A., Wright, M.G., Ramadan, M. & Messing, R. 2009. Using molecular tools to identify and describe ecological and evolutionary processes affecting augmentative biological control. Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on Biological Control of Arthropods. P.G. Mason, D.R. Gillespie and C. Vincent (Eds.). pp. 124-133. (Invited paper)
- Hooks, C.R.R., Wright, M.G., Kabasawa, D., Manandahr, R. & Almeida, R.P.P. 2008. Effect of Banana Bunchy Top Virus infection on morphology and growth characteristics of banana. Annals of Applied Biology 153: 1-9.
- Wright, M.G., Follett, P.A. & Golden, M. 2007. Long-term patterns and feeding sites of southern green stink bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in Hawaii macadamia orchards, and sampling for management decisions. Bulletin of Entomological Research 97: 569-575.
- Robson, J.D., Wright, M.G. & Almeida, R.P.P. 2007. Biology of Pentalonia nigronervosa Coq. (Hemiptera, Aphididae) on banana. Environmental Entomology. 36: 46-52.
- Englund, R.A., Wright, M.G. & Polhemus, D.A. 2007. Aquatic insect taxa as indicators of aquatic species richness, habitat disturbance, and invasive species impacts in Hawaiian streams. Bishop Museum Bulletins in Cultural and Environmental Studies. 3: 205-230.
- Robson, J.D., Wright, M.G. & Almeida, R.P.P. 2006. Within-plant spatial distribution and binomial sampling of Pentalonia nigronervosa Coquerel (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on banana in Hawai'i. Journal of Economic Entomology. 99: 2185-2190.
- Messing, R.H. & Wright, M.G. 2006. Biological control of invasive species: solution or pollution? Frontiers in Ecology and Environment 4: 132-140.
- Golden, M., Follett, P.A. & Wright, M.G. 2006. Assessing Nezara viridula (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) feeding damage in macadamia nuts using a biological stain. Journal of Economic Entomology 99: 822-827.
- Wright, M.G. 2005. Biological control in IPM systems in Africa. American Entomologist (Book Review) 51: 249.
- Wright, M.G., Hoffmann, M.P., Kuhar, T.P., Gardner, J. & Pitcher, S.A. 2005. Evaluating risks of biological control introductions: a probabilistic risk-assessment approach. Biological Control 35: 338-347.
- Wright, M.G. & Diez, J.M. 2005. Coconut scale (Aspidiotus destructor: Diaspididae) seasonal occurrence, dispersion and sampling on banana in Hawai'i. International Journal of Tropical Insect Science 25: 80-85.